Combination switch mechanism



Nov. 8, 1938. E MICHEL COMBINATION SWI TCH MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 16. 1935 Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNlT ED ES oFFIcE COMBINATION SWITCH MECHANISM Edmond? Michel; New Orleans, La.,. assignor: to

Larmloc Corporation,-

New Orleans, La., a corporationi of, Louisiana Original application Se ptember 16", 1935,, Serial 8 ,1937. Divided and this application March 10,. 1936,. Serial No; 68,124

5' Claims.

or pressure, their resiliency gradually diminishes with the result that. the efiiciency of the switch is seriously impaired: 7

An object of. the present: invention is to. over"- come the defects of such a: switch and this is eife'ctedby interposing, between thev fixed contacts and the push buttons, A a substantially flat'member or disc having radiating from the cent'er'thereof spaced; resilient. fiat: arms which normally are disposed in the same plane. as the disc and in substantial parallelism with the: opposed surfaces of thefixedcontactsand the push buttons. Consequently, when one of the armsri'sldefiected' by. a push button and brought into" engagement with. its aligned fixedcontact; it will; upon release of thepushbutton, automatically return to its normal horizontal positionandwill not dependupon its: resiliency to'insure' proper and uniform engagement with its associated push button.

A further object consists inproviding? a casing: or. panel which housesthe contacts; with) a mov able cover or face plate to which the movable contacts and push buttons" are connected: so that, upon rotation'of the cover plate, the movable con tacts and push buttons maybe selectively moved into registration with the fixedcontacts, thus: providing means, when a push button or plate shows evidence of wear or' other marks" which might betray the combination; for turning the cover plate to substitute other push buttons'in place of the used push buttons without. changingthe combination of the-circuit or thewmov-ing. of the fixed contacts.

Another object of the invention comprehends the provision of asimple, efficient-and durable: switch mechanism in which the movablecontacts are associated with the fixed contacts in such a manner that any one of the movable: contacts may be moved selectively soas to engage any one of the fixed contacts to close a predetermined circuit, and in which. several operable members may be conveniently actuated from a single switch mechanism.

A further object is to provide a dual control electric combination switch in which two electric combination switches are used in combination to When operate one or more devices and thus make. itmore difiicult-for an unauthorized party to guess orobtain the proper combination necessary to operate" the switch. Additionally, means may be associated with the dual control switch which requires the presence or consent of at least two different persons to operate the same.

Other objects-and advantages of the invention will become apparent from -the':following description taken in conjunction with .the: following claims and drawing.

Referring to thedrawin'g, in which are shown preferred embodiments of the invention,

Figure Lisa transverse-se'ctionalview of my improved switch;

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure I with partscut away for' clearness of illustration;

Referring to the drawing in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views; l0: designates a casing'or panel-in which is'housed the operative: parts of theswitch; The

casing may be of any suitable sizeandshape and.

is shown: as'cylindrical. The wall of the casing is preferably formed with spaced annularly inwardly extending protuberance's orbeads H between which is secured a fixed insulated member or web l2 having spacedthreaded openingsior' receiving the threaded boltsor binding-screws I3 which constitute the fixed contacts: The inner end or bottom of thecasinghas-a closure I '4 provided with openings l5 through which extend the wires connected to the. fixedcontacts l3 and 2|. The outer or exposed end of the casing is preferably provided with ant annular groove IS in which is rotatably secured the cover. or' face plate l-l'. Thecover'plate IT has a plurality of openings l8 registering with the fixed contacts l3 and slidably carries the'push'buttons l9; A metallic plate or disc- 20 is: secured to' the; underside radially disposed flexible arms 24 corresponding in number to the number o'f'fixed contacts, said arms being arranged" to be interposed between and in alignment with adjacent contacts I 3 and push buttons ill to constitute movable contacts for establishing predetermined circuits. with their adjacent fixed contacts. The plate 20 and arms 24 preferably are of flat flexible metal so that when one of the arms is displaced by a push button to be brought into engagement with its adjacent fixed contact l3, it will, upon the re- Between"v the" lease of the push button, return to its normal horizontal position without being distorted or detrimentally afiected by constant usage. The retaining bolt 2| secures the face plate I1 and contact plate 20 to each other and also consti tutes a centrally disposed fixed contact common to each of the movable contacts by reason of its connection through the lower washer 22 with the plate 20.

As the plate I! and its associated parts are rotatable relative to the casing III and fixed contacts I3, it will be seen that the push buttons may be turned without affecting the position of the fixed contacts I3 so that other push buttons may be substituted in place of the recently used push buttons. Thus, means are provided for preventing an unauthorized observer from detecting the proper combination necessary to be actuated in order to complete a predetermined circuit. In other words, under constant usage, the particular push button selected to close the operating circult may be discernible under careful observation due to signs of wear, lack of dust, finger marks, or the like, and thus enable an unauthorized person to operate the lock without knowledge or consent of the proper parties. Such a possibility as this is precluded due to the fact that the push buttons and movable contacts may be periodically turned tobe brought into registration with different fixed contacts. In other words, any of the push buttons may be conveniently moved so as to actuate any of the fixed contacts without requiring access to the interior of the casing and at a minimum expenditure of time and effort. The fixed contacts I3 and the central contact 2I constitute terminals to which wires leading from the operable member may be detachably connected.

The contacts selected to be connected to the various operable members may be readily interchanged when desired. Moreover, as the cover plate in each of the switch panels or casings is rotatable relative to the fixed contacts, the movable contact may be turned so as to register with any of the fixed contacts whenever the surface of the cover plate or the push button show evidence of wear or other marks which might betray to a close observer the proper combination necessary to establish a circuit to one of the operable members for actuating the latter.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention shown is illustrative of a preferred embodiment and that such changes may be made as fall within the purview ofone skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A switch of the class described including a plurality of fixed contacts, a plate having movable contacts arranged to engage adjacent fixed contacts to close a predetermined circuit, said plate and movable contacts being rotatable relative to the fixed contacts whereby the movable contacts may be selectively brought into registration with the fixed contacts, and means for actuating the movable contacts to bring them into engagement with their adjacent fixed contacts to close the circuit.

2. A switch of the class described including spaced fixed contacts, a metallic member having uniformly spaced resilient arms extending outwardly therefrom in a right line and in the same transverse plane as said member, said arms being formed from the metallic member without being subjected to any permanent deformation or set out of their transverse plane and without detrimentally affecting the original elasticity of the metal and constituting movable contacts arranged to engage adjacent fixed contacts and normally disposed in a plane parallel to the fixed contacts, means for actuating each of the movable contacts for engagement with an adjacent fixed contact to close a predetermined circuit, the resiliency of each of the arms acting to return the same to its normal right line position when the actuating means is released and without acquiring any permanent deformation when subjected to constant usage, and means for rotating the movable contacts relative to the fixed contacts whereby the movable contacts may be selectively brought into registration with the fixed contacts without disturbing the circuits connected to the fixed contacts.

3. A switch of the class described including a plurality of fixed contacts disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane, a member having flat yieldable arms constituting movable contacts normally disposed substantially parallel to said horizontal plane and arranged to engage adjacent fixed contacts to close a predetermined circuit, and means for actuating the movable contacts to bring them into engagement with adjacent fixed contacts to close the circuit, said plate and movable contacts being rotatable relative to the fixed contacts whereby the movable contacts may be selectively brought into registration with any of the fixed contacts.

4. An electric switch device of the class described including a casing having fixed contacts mounted therein, a face plate closing one end of the casing and provided with openings registering with adjacent fixed contacts, movable contacts mounted in the casing and registering with the fixed contacts, means extending through the openings in the face plate for moving the movable contacts into engagement with their adjacent fixed contacts to close an electric circuit, and means revolubly connecting the face plate to the casing whereby the movable contacts may be selectively brought into registration with the fixed contacts.

5. An electric combination switch of the class described including a casing having spaced circumferentially disposed fixed contacts, a face plate closing one end of the casing and provided with openings in alignment with adjacent fixed contacts, a member secured to the underside of said face plate and having a series of flat yieldable arms extending outwardly from the center of the plate to constitute movable contacts, push buttons extending through openings in the face plate and arranged to move said arms into engagement with their adjacent fixed contacts to close an electric circuit established by said contacts, and means revolubly connecting the face plate to the casing, whereby the movable contacts and push buttons may be selectively moved into registration with the fixed contacts.

EDMOND MICHEL. 

